What started as a simple idea blossomed into something truly remarkable this weekend. Back in early May, my friend Kat and I (same one doing the ultra with me in August) were chatting over Facebook about some new vegan recipes. (She also happens to be a Scott Jurek-devotee, hence the meatless slant.) Our other friend Michele joined the conversation and casually asked if she could come over while we are cooking, since the recipes sounded so good. We laughed, traded dates, and then suddenly......VeganFest 2014 was born.

It was a gorgeous night full of awesome food - appetizing, pleasant, savory, scrumptious. I absorbed more about vegan cooking on Friday night than I've learned over the past six months. I realized that going vegan isn't about trying to find alternative to animal products, but instead, truly eating a plant-based diet. Those are two very different things when you really think about it. (You are probably wondering - when did Kim become vegan? That's a great question. It will be addressed in tomorrow's blog entry along with a number of other pressing concerns in "So...Are You Vegan Now?")The food - let's get back to the food. It's really amazing what you can do without meat or dairy. And at the end of the night, I realized I wasn't worried about spoilage or the food sitting out too long. There was no risk of meat going bad, the mayo turning, or cheese developing that oily surface. There was just an overabundance of healthy, veggie-based dishes, each more colorful than the next. Check it out:

This is just a tiny sampling of what was offered - since most people brought a dish, food arrived in shifts. Just as we were sitting down to eat, a fantastic sweet potato and long grain rice concoction showed up. Then right before dessert, this phenomenal spiral pasta with a chunky tomato sauce and soy sausage arrived. People went back for seconds, thirds, even fourths. Those blondie brownies that I posted way back in January were a huge hit. I mean, it was like VeganThanksgiving. So much food, so many happy people...the wine was flowing and the conversation was deep. I literally couldn't stop smiling. As I told a friend the next day, it was meta. Paul Graham, the "Vegan King of Las Vegas" and purveyor of that pasta, was also in attendance. He recently wrote a book called "Vegan Eats in Vegas" and is known as the authority figure on all things vegan here. (check out his blog: http://eatingveganinvegas.tumblr.com) I had no idea but Nacho Daddy has a vegan nacho option or every single restaurant in the Wynn has a vegan menu. Nice. So many great places to go without feeling like you are the only one not diving into the petite filet or cheese appetizer. I commented to him how zen the night felt and he replied, "When you take animal products out of the equation, kindness emanates." Indeed, Paul. The overall consensus was VeganFest must go on. Maybe in the fall months when it's a bit cooler (and I'm not getting up at 4:30 to run). I'd love to host again. Best, what I learned the most is meat-eating friends should definitely come. This is not an exclusionary event. The amount of ideas exchanged in that five hour block of time would help anyone with meal-planning options/getting healthier, whether you are meat-free everyday or just on Monday. Or very, very rarely, like my husband. I can state with authority - Brian had a good time too. Yes, he went to BBQ with Scotty and Uncle Jim before the party and yes, he posted on Facebook (for the fifth time in his entire Facebook presence) that they ingested "a whole chicken and half of a pig." But by the time he got home, put the boy to bed and grabbed a beer, he had fun chatting with everyone, too. See? Kindness emanating. Everywhere.Carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore...everyone is welcome. :-)